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Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos full of motivational fuel at camp

When all is said and done in the 2013 season for the Broncos, it may be how the team deals with its scars as well as high expectations that decides the outcome.

"It's good to be at the top. But it's hard to stay at the top, hard to get to the top," said defensive end Derek Wolfe. "But I keep saying that's our plan, to do what we need to do to get to the top. We're going to do that."

When coach John Fox addressed the team Wednesday night to set the table for the new season, he spoke of the double-overtime home playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens last winter, a crushing end to a season that saw the top-seeded Broncos win 11 consecutive games. Fox also addressed the expectations heaped on the Broncos from inside and outside their Dove Valley headquarters.

Peyton Manning attracts quite a crowd while signing autographs at Broncos training camp Thursday. More than 3,000 fans attended the team's first practice of camp. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Thursday morning, the Broncos got back to their on-field business with the first practice of training camp. It was a much-needed, happy-to-be-here moment for the team.

"Coach Fox kind of addressed it. We kind of have a scar from losing that playoff game and players kind of need to be reminded of that, use that to drive them, to fuel them to make us a better team," said quarterback Peyton Manning. "And that's a good thing."

"Fuel" and "work" were the words of the day when the practice, which lasted about 2½ hours, was over.

"I do think that loss (to the Ravens) can be like fuel for us," said running back Ronnie Hillman.

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"It's great to get back on the football field and practice and get to some football. Get some X's and O's. Just football 101, if you will," Manning said. "Guys are pumped. Guys are ready to put the work in. I think that's the key word, guys are ready to work. We know how much work we have to put in. We know how much improvement that we still need to make, but guys are excited to put in that work and those are the kind of guys you want to play with."

Guard Chris Kuper and center J.D. Walton didn't participate and opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Offensive tackle Ryan Clady, who had offseason shoulder surgery, was limited to mostly individual work. Rookie defensive end Quanterus Smith, who suffered a knee injury during his senior season at Western Kentucky, was a full participant during practice.

With 3,007 fans on hand — some of them had lined up just after midnight — the Broncos went through their first paces.

Hillman and rookie Montee Ball, a former Wisconsin star, showed hints of what should be a spirited battle for carries in what figures to be a rotation system at running back.

The Broncos, as they promised, kept star linebacker Von Miller working with the starting defense despite the possibility of a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

Miller's work in practice was met with cheers for the most part, while a few fans shouted the occasional invective about his recent troubles.

It was a day for fresh starts and introductions for those who came to see what the Broncos had to offer.

Tight end Joel Dreessen and defensive tackle Mitch Unrein know what it feels like to be on the fans' side of the ropes. Dreessen, a Fort Morgan High School graduate, and Unrein (Eaton) were regular attendees of Denver training camps past. Both said they understand the anticipation of the fans.

"I think the coolest thing was just seeing (the Broncos) in real life: John Elway, (Ed) McCaffrey, (Shannon) Sharpe, (Terrell) Davis, all those guys," Unrein said. "You see them on TV, but then when you get up close and personal with them when you're a little kid, you're like, 'Man, these guys are massive.' It's really cool to just be on the other side of the rope and have little kids looking up to me now."

"I remember when I got my driver's license, I was 16 years old and my mom let me take her minivan to drive from Fort Morgan to Greeley to go watch the Broncos practice," Dreessen said. "My dad was so mad at her because I had just gotten my license and here she was, letting me drive 60 miles. So, yeah, I definitely went to a lot of training camp practices."